Man dies in rafting accident on Middle Fork

A 43-year-old man died Tuesday after his raft capsized on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in rapids below Moccasin Creek, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

Three men were in a raft when the accident occurred. The Middle Fork at West Glacier was at about 9.6 feet on Tuesday, just below the 10-foot flood stage.

“The Flathead County Sheriff's Office encourages the public to remember, that while the rivers are cool and inviting, they are incredibly unsafe currently. The rivers are extremely high and dangerous. The water is high, cold, and there is a significant amount of debris in the river. The river conditions are ever changing, and high waters make the water extremely unsafe,” the Sheriff's Office said in a release.

The Sheriff’s Office is encouraging all people to stay out of rivers currently because the danger is so great, and when near water wear your life jacket.

Further information on the accident wasn’t immediately available.